The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Friday, March 23, 2018

While Goofy was a character in many Walt Disney shorts, I have always liked the cartoons in which he was essentially the subject of a "documentary," with a narrator dryly commenting as Goof engaged in specific activities such as dancing, fishing, photography, skiing, or in this case, driving. From YouTube, here is the 1950 animated short, Motor Mania.

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Retro Planet's Planet Retro Blog posted this article about Mel's Drive-In, the first drive-in restaurant in San Francisco, which opened in 1947. This photo shows the second location opened in SF, but the franchise eventually covered Northern California. In the early 1970's, the diner became famous as the set for American Graffiti.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

I saw this a few weeks ago on the BBC. A search team has discovered the wreck of the USS Lexington, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier lost during World War II in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. It was the first naval battle between aircraft carriers, and the first in which ships from the opposing sides neither sighted nor fired directly on each other.

Friday, March 16, 2018

Since Spring officially starts next week, I thought this cute Walt Disney Silly Symphony short from 1933 was appropriate. A young bird strays a little too far from the nest and gets in trouble. Here is Birds In The Spring.

Friday, March 9, 2018

Ever tried to get something done, and quickly learned that it is just going to be one of those days? That is pretty much the majority of Donald Duck cartoons, and this one, posted on YouTube, is no exception. From 1941, here is The Village Smithy.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

It's been some time since Captain Marvel visited our pages, so this 1941 story posted on Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine seemed appropriate. I never was much of a CM fan myself, as I never could figure out where he stood versus Superman. Most of my exposure to the character was the 1970's Saturday morning live-action TV show.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Here is a post from Vintage Everyday with a series of photographs of the USS Macon, a 1930's U.S. Navy dirigible designed to serve as a flying aircraft carrier. The airship could launch and retrieve biplane fighters in mid-air. Airships were difficult to handle in strong weather, and the Macon, along with 3 other of its sister ships, crashed.

Friday, March 2, 2018

We have not had a visit from Betty Boop for some time, so this little 1993 flight of fancy featuring our favorite cartoon flapper seemed like a good idea. From the Internet Archive, here is Mother Goose Land.